Auxiliary cut-off unit for web printing presses and method of forming severed pieces

ABSTRACT

Auxiliary cut-off unit capable of receiving either single or multiple, laminated pre-printed webs, either flat or longitudinally folded by an existing press former, or former or &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;plow&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; added thereto, and cutting said pre-printed product into various divisible lengths of the circumference of the rotary printing cylinder, generally referred to in the trade as the &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;repeat length&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; of the press. Said cut-off unit is driven directly from the main press drive for operation in direct linear relation thereto, and embodies a rotary blade cylinder in which one or more blades are secured for shearing coaction with a fixed bed blade against which the rotary blades sever said pre-printed web or webs. Adjustable means for driving said rotary blade cylinder at a selected adjustable speed permits changes in cutoff length of the severed pieces by dividing the press &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;repeat length&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; into quarters, thirds, halves, two-thirds, etc. thereof. Severed product pieces of even lengths and having smoothly cut edges require no additional trimming or finishing operations.

United States Patent Faltin [75] Inventor: I-Ians G. Faltin, York, Pa.

[73] Assignee: Advance Enterprises, Inc., York, Pa.

[22] Filed: Dec. 4, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 311,627

[52] U.S. C1. 270/21; 83/287; 83/76 [51] Int. Cl. B41F 13/56 [58] Field of Search..... 270/21; 83/349, 76, 287

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,048,765 7/1936 Wood 270/21 3,204,502 9/1965 Fuller 3,424,041 l/l969 Giraud.....

3,482,477 12/1969 Sleeper 83/349 X 3,521,512 7/1970 Woessner 270/21 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 678,435 3/1930 France 270/21 1 June 17, 1975 Primary Examiner-Robert W. Mitchell Assistant Examiner-A. Heinz Attorney, Agent, or FirmC. Hercus Just 57 ABSTRACT Auxiliary cut-off unit capable of receiving either single or multiple, laminated pre-printed webs, either flat or longitudinally folded by an existing press former, or former or plow added thereto, and cutting said preprinted product into various divisible lengths of the circumference of the rotary printing cylinder, generally referred to in the trade as the repeat length of the press. Said cut-off unit is driven directly from the main press drive for operation in direct linear relation thereto, and embodies a rotary blade cylinder in which one or more blades are secured for shearing coaction with a fixed bed blade against which the rotary blades sever said pre-printed web or webs. Adjustable means for driving said rotary blade cylinder at a selected adjustable speed permits changes in cut-off length of the severed pieces by dividing the press repeat length into quarters, thirds, halves, two-thirds, etc. thereof. Severed product pieces of even lengths and having smoothly cut edges require no additional trimming or finishing operations.

7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures y is AUXILIARY CUT-OFF UNIT FOR WEB PRINTING PRESSES AND METHOD OF FORMING SEVERED PIECES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Present rotary web printing presses basically fall into two categories, which are: 1) A signature type press which delivers a predetermined folded signature of single or multiple webs into a fixed size product, which usually consists of a cross-folded product of half the repeat length of the printing cylinder circumference, which may or may not be folded half again, either parallel to or across said first fold. Such products, known as signatures" are crudely cut and also contain impaling pin holes, therefore often necessitating further off-line trimming operations. (2) A roll-to-roll or rollto-sheet single web press which is limited to delivering printed sheets precisely the length of the repeat length, comprising the cylinder circumference of said press, or rewinding said web into rolls for further off-line operations. These characteristics greatly limit and circumscribe such presses to a very limited type of printed and/or folded product.

The purpose, therefore, of the present invention is to enable printers owning web rotary presses of either type mentioned above to greatly increase the flexibility of the size and type of product they can deliver from said presses, as well as eliminating costly and timeconsuming supplementary off-line finishing operations, such as cutting, trimming, gathering and folding, and deliver instead a substantial variety of finished products all resulting from one operation, by utilizing either portions of the folding equipment, such as the former" which is frequently already on said press, or by the addition of other well-known auxiliary press equipment as special formers, plows, gluing equipment, perforating wheels, side trimmers and the like. Since these rotary web presses represent an investment to the printer from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars, increasing the versatility of such equipment, as well as eliminating costly offline operations simply by adding this comparatively inexpensive auxiliary rotary cut-off unit, its use comprises a very desirable investment, as well as an economical necessity.

There are auxiliary sheeters on the market at present which can be added in-line to notary presses of type I referred to above, but this, as in the type 2 rotary presses mentioned above, permits the printer only the ability to deliver a sheeted product of one fixed size which is the repeat length of the printing cylinder, to be delivered, therefore resulting in the need of costly usually slow, off-line operations that add nothing to the value of the finished product and greatly increase the waste and additional expense factors.

One typical form of apparatus of the type referred to above is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 2,092,977, in the name of Kaster, issued Sept. 14, 1937. Cutting knives and impaling pins of the type referred to are illustrated in this patent, whereby the detrimental effects described above exist in the product produced by the machine comprising the subject matter of the patent.

Label cutting devices per se which may be operated either individually, or in association with a printing press, also are available. One typical example of such device is illustrated in U.S. Pat No. 1,837,612, in the name of Gangler, issued Dec. 22, 1931. Such device is of the type adapted to sever individual labels from a web, the labels being of even length in accordance with the spacing of the multiple cutting blades which are of a fixed nature.

Still another example of the prior art used at present is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,766,039, in the name of Matthews, issued Oct. 9.1956, in which a sheeter is shown having means to fold, cut, feed and stack sheet material, products of a single fixed size certain types of grippers being required to effect feed of the severed sheets.

The principal purpose of the present invention is to overcome the deficiency of the fixed nature of signature forming and cutting devices furnished as an integral part of rotary web presses, or of fixed size auxiliary sheeters used at present-in direct association with rotary printing presses in order to eliminate waste caused by ragged trimming and pin holes caused by impaling pins and to deliver finished folded or unfolded pieces of one or more thicknesses of various lengths of preprinted material in line with the press, as well as eliminating secondary finishing operations, details of such improved unit and the method of operating the same being set forth hereinafter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is the principal object of the present invention to provide primarily for use with a web type printing press adjacent a forming and folding blade if included in the press, by which the printed web is folded longitudinally along a line between the opposite edges of the web, a variable auxiliary rotary cutoff unit which includes a movable cutting blade having a driving means interconnected to a drive shaft of the printing press so as to be in direct relationship to the speed thereof, the drive means for the cutting blade being adjustable, however, relative to the speed of the web so as to sever said web at precisely longitudinally spaced locations to form severed folded and printed pieces of desired uniform length, the cutting blade severing the web smoothly and evenly transversely across the web to provide finished cut edges at opposite ends of said severed pieces,

whereby no subsequent or auxiliary trimming of the pieces is required.

It is another object of the invention to effect the variable drive for the cutting blade by utilizing a rotatable cylinder or roll having at least one cutting blade extending longitudinally thereof so as to be transverse to the line of feed of the web, said rotary blade preferably cooperating with a stationary bed knife over which the folded web moves at the delivery speed of the web as discharged from the printing press, said variable rotary cutoff unit including a main drive shaft which is interconnectable to one of the driven shafts of the printing press for direct operation thereby and adjustable driving means being connected between the said main drive shaft of said unit and the aforementioned rotary blade to effect the desired speed of said blade in relation to the speed of the web fed thereto.

It is a further object of the invention relative to the aforementioned object to provide a plurality of sets of meshing gears each having a different ratio and the gears of each set respectively being connected to the shaft which supports the rotary blade and interconnected to the main drive shaft, said different sets of meshing gears affording a suitable range of adjustability of driven speeds of the rotary blade relative to the feed speed of the web delivered thereto.

It is still another object of the invention to provide primary and auxiliary feed rolls respectively adjacent the delivery and discharge sides of the rotary blade, the auxiliary feed rolls being driven at a faster speed than the primary feed rolls to insure separation of the severed pieces from the oncoming web, whereby said severed pieces may be fed to a discharge conveyor, said conveyor being driven at a speed suitable to receive the severed pieces in shingle-like manner.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a rotatable knock-down member which engages the severed pieces to knock the leading ends thereof down toward said conveyor to insure the formation of the shingle-like arrangement of the severed pieces upon the conveyor for movement to suitable counting, packaging or other similar types of mechanism.

Still further objects of the invention are to provide various types of refinements and improvements in the mounting of the various cutting blades to provide for adjustability, supporting means for the primary and auxiliary feed rolls, and also in the drive means for the various movable elements so as to interrelate the operation thereof in a manner to produce a coordinated result from employment of the various principles of the invention.

Details of the foregoing objects and of the invention, as well as other objects thereof, are set forth in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings comprising a part thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an end elevation of a delivery end of an exemplary printing press which is illustrated fragmentarily and a variable rotary cutoff unit being illustrated in side elevation somewhat diagramatically, to illustrate a combination comprising part of the present invention and incorporating the principles thereof.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the variable rotary cutoff unit illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a diagramatic vertical elevation illustrating the drive means for the various elements of the variable rotary cutoff unit shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, vertical elevation, partly in section, illustrating details of the auxiliary feed rolls employed in the unit shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation, partly in vertical section, illustrating details of the severing blades of the primary feed rolls by which a web is fed to the blades.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to FIG. 1, an exemplary web type printing press is illustrated only fragmentarily in FIG. 1, primarily to illustrate the relationship thereof to the variable rotary cutoff unit 12 which is also illustrated in FIG. 1 in diagramatic relationship to the printing press 10. Only very limited details of the press 10 are illustrated in view of the fact that the press is of a conventional type of said view in FIG. 1 is intended to represent the delivery end of said press. In this view, a portion of the frame 14 is shown for purposes of supporting a driven shaft 16 which is of an exemplary type and may be one of a number of different shafts in the press to represent a relationship of the speed at which the printed web 18, which is of infinite length, moves over a final guide roll 20 to deliver the web in precise transverse relationship to an exemplary forming blade 22, which is shown by dotted lines to represent a conventional type of blade beneath the web 18 for purposes of creasing the web longitudinally along a crease line which is precisely spaced from the opposite edges of the web. The web is fed between a pair of nip rolls 24 which are driven at a surface speed equal to that of the web 18, by means interconnected to the driving mechanism of the press, not shown, so as to feed the precisely, longitudinally folded and creased web 26 around a portion of a guide roll 28 at the receiving end of the cutoff unit 12.

The illustration of the press 10 in FIG. 1 also includes several exemplary printing rolls or cylinders 30 and 32 which are only illustrated in phantom, it being understood that a plurality of sets of said printing rolls or cylinders may be included in the press, especially if multicolor printing is to be produced.

The cutoff unit 12 is provided with a suitable frame 34 which is shown somewhat diagramatically in FIG. 1. It will be understood that opposite sides are provided in said frame and suitable bearings are mounted in said sides to support the various rolls, shafts, and other rotatable means to be described in detail hereinafter. Preferably, the frame 34 is mounted immediately adjacent the delivery end of the printing press 10 so as to conserve space. Because of the manner in which the printed web 18 is folded longitudinally to form the folded web 26, in plan view, the longitudinal axis of the cutoff unit 12 will be substantially at a right angle to the longitudinal axis of the web type press 10. Therefore, further to conserve space, it is preferred that the cutoff unit 12 be no longer than necessary, in accordance with the principles of the present invention. Therefore, the various elements included therein, which are described in detail hereinafter, are closely located in compact relationship to each other, as will be seen from the following description.

In FIG. 2 the exemplary side frame members 34 are shown in plan view with the various shafts which support the individual elements of the cutoff unit 12 are shown. The shaft for example which supports the guide roll 28 is shown in FIG. 2. Closely adjacent the guide roll 28 is a primary feed roll 36 which is supported on a shaft 38, the opposite ends of which are mounted in suitable bearings 40, one of which is illustrated in FIG. 2.

In order to render the primary feed roll 36 effective, a plurality of relatively narrow pressure rolls 42 respectively are rotatably mounted upon a plurality of spaced supporting arms 44; only one roll 42 is shown in FIG. 2, for simplicity. The ends of the arms 44 which are opposite the ends that support the pressure rolls 42 are mounted upon a fragmentarily illustrated shaft 46 for limited rotation thereon. The opposite ends of the shaft 46 are mounted in suitable bearings formed in the side frames 34. A vertically extending rod 48, having a manually engageable knob 50 on the upper end thereof, is fixed radially to one end of shaft 46.

Shaft 46 also supports a series of similar split blocks 52 which are best shown in FIG. 5, said blocks including a clamping bolt 54 by which the split blocks respectively are clamped fixedly on shaft 46 for limited rotation therewith relative to the frame 34.'Each block 52 is positioned adjacent one of the supporting arms 44 and an extension 56 on each of the blocks partially overlies lug 58 connected to one side of each arm 44. Suitable bores respectively formed in the extension 56 and lug 58 of each set of the supporting means for the pressure rolls 42 receives a compression spring 60 for purposes of exerting limited pressure of suitable degree upon each of the arms 44 in order to urge the pressure rolls 42 against the folded web 26 as it moves between primary feed roll 36 and the pressure rolls 42, as driven by the feed roll 36 at a uniform surface speed substantially equal to or slightly greater than the web speed of the press. Preferably, the peripheries of the pressure rolls 42 have a compressible rubber band 62, for exam ple, mounted thereon for engagement with the upper surface of the folded web 26.

Pressure to be exerted by the pressure rolls 42 upon the web is set at the beginning of any operation of the rotary cutoff unit by moving the adjusting rod 48 arcuately in the desired direction to carry all of the blocks 52 in the same direction. When the adjusted position thereof is reached, a manually rotatable knob 64 which has a threaded shaft fixed thereto that extends through an arcuate slot 66 formed in the upper end of an arm 68 fixed to one of the side frames 34 is rotated to clamp the adjusting rod 48 relative to the side frame 34. Correspondingly, all of the blocks 52 likewise are clamped in said adjusted position. However, because of the yieldability of springs 60, the individual arms 44 which support the pressure rolls 42 may yield a limited extent if variations in the movement of the folded web may require the same.

The primary feed roll 36 is driven by means described hereinafter, the surface speed thereof preferably being slightly greater than the speed of the web which is fed to the cutoff unit 12. The primary feed roll 36 feeds the folded and creased web 26 at uniform speed to the movably mounted cutter assembly 70, details of which are best illustrated in FIG. 5. As shown in said figure, the cutter assembly 70 preferably comprises a cylinder 72 supported by notatable shaft 74, the opposite ends of which are appropriately mounted within bearings respectively provided in the side frame members 34. In the exemplary illustration shown in FIG. 5, the cylinder 72 is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed V-shaped channels or seats 76 which extend longitudinally of the cylinder 72 for purposes of receiving, respectively, similar cutter supporting base plates 78 which respectively are clamped against one face of each seat 76 by a plurality of appropriate clamping bolts 80. Adjustably clamped to the outer face of each of the base plates 78 is an axially extending severing and cutting blade 82. In the preferred construction, the blades 82 are similar and may be slightly spiraled, whereby, for example, one end may have a lead of the order of approximately one-half inch over the other end. Such an arrangement reduces the power requirements to drive the cutting blades 82. Also, the blades 82 preferably have slots of short length through which clamping bolts 84 extend and are threaded into the base plate 78. Suitably threaded into opposite ends of the base plate 78, which preferably project beyond the opposite ends of the cylinder 72, are blade adjusting screws 86, one end of each of which respectively engage opposite ends of the blades 82 to position the same in a radial direction with respect to the movable folded web 26 to sever predetermined lengths thereof by a shearing action resulting from coaxion of the rotary blades 82 with respect to a stationary bed knife or blade 88.

The stationary blade 88 is effectively supported by one wall of a transversely extending recessed seat 90 formed within a transversely extending base member 92 which extends between and is secured appropriately to the side frames 34. A pair of relatively long adjusting screws 94 are threaded into the base member 92 adjacent opposite ends thereof respectively for engagement with opposite ends of the stationary blade 88 so as to adjust the cutting edge thereof with respect to the cutting edges of the rotary blades 82. When suitable adjustable positioning of the stationary blade 88 has been achieved, clamping bolts 96, which extend into and are threaded into the base member 92 securely clamp the stationary blade 88 in said adjusted position. In the event the rotary blades 82 are slightly spiraled, for example, as described above, the stationary blade 88 is similarly spiraled but the lead of one end thereof over the other is at the opposite side of the cutoff unit 12 from the lead of the rotary blades 82, whereby an accurate and precise even and clean shearing cut is imparted to the moving web, said cut also being precisely perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the moving web.

After the severing of successive precisely dimensioned pieces has been made from the moving web 26, the severed pieces are engaged by auxiliary feed rolls comprising a series of longitudinally spaced narrow lower feed rolls 98 which are supported upon a shaft 100 extending transversely between the opposite side frames 34. Cooperating with each of the lower feed rolls 98 is an upper pressure roll 102. The rolls 102 are relatively narrow and respectively comprise rubber circular rims mounted upon the outer race of a ball bearing unit 104, the inner race of each of which is mounted commonly upon a transverse shaft 106. The opposite ends of shaft 106 respectively are mounted in U-shaped yokes 108 which open upwardly. Said yokes respectively are attached to the inner surfaces of the upper side frames 34 as shown in FIG. 2. The opposite ends of theshaft 106 are yieldably maintained within the throats of the U-shaped members 108 by leveroperating clamping units 110 which are similar to clamping units used in various types of wooden cabinet work and the like. A toggle arrangement 112 is operated by the actuating lever 114 which, when moved in one direction, depresses the clamping arm 116 downwardly relative to shaft 106. The outer end of the arm 116 supports a bolt 118, for example, around which a compression spring 120 is mounted and operates to normally urge the lower end of the bolt 118 downwardly against the shaft 106. However, if variations in the pieces moving beneath the pressure rolls 102 occur, the shaft 106 and the pressure rolls 102 thereon are capable of yielding upwardly until normal operation is restored.

A discharge unit 122 extends outwardly from the auxiliary feed roll means comprising lower feed roll 98 and the plurality of upper pressure rolls 102. Said unit comprises similar, opposite and parallel side plates 124. Extending between said side plates adjacent the outer end thereof is a shaft 126 upon which a belt-carrying roll 128 is mounted. The opposite ends of the shaft 126 preferably are supported in slots of limited length in the side plates 124, as shown in FIG. 1, for purposes of providing belt-tightening screws 130 to effect tightening of the plurality of belts 132, which are transversely spaced from each other, as shown in FIG. 2, the opposite ends of the belts extending around another belt-tightening roll 134. Also, as seen in FIG. 1, additional belttightening means in the form of a roll 136 is supported at opposite ends by suitable arms 138 which are movable pivotally through limited arcs relative to the side plates 124 and appropriate means maintain the arms in adjusted position after the belts 132 have been suitably tightened.

An appropriate plate 140 extends between the upper and lower courses of the belts 132, said plate having downwardly extending flanges at opposite edges which are suitably connected to the inner surfaces of the side plates 124. This arrangement stabilizes the discharge unit 122. The innermost ends of the side plates also have bearings through which the shaft 142 extends that supports the belt-carrying roll 134. The outer end of the discharge unit 122 is adjustably supported by means of a pair of rods 144 which are pivotally connected at the outer ends thereof to the lower, outer corner portions of the side plates 124 and the opposite ends thereof are adjustably mounted with respect to clevises 146 which are pivotally supported between opposite side frame members 34. Lock nuts 148 are threaded on the inner ends of the rods 144 and respectively engage opposite sides of the clevises 146 to maintain desired adjustment of the rods 144 in order to dispose the discharge unit 122 at a desired downwardly extending angle with respect to the discharge end of the cutoff unit 12. I

Due to the auxiliary feed roll means operating at a faster speed than the surface speed of the movable cutter assembly 70, by means to be described hereinafter, the pieces which are cut by the movable cutter assembly 70, in cooperation with the stationary bed blade 88 move onto conveyor belts 132 in separated manner from each other. Pressure rolls 150 respectively are supported on arms 152 which are connected at one end to support shaft 154 which extends between the opposite side plates 124 as clearly shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The rolls 150 are substantially as wide as the belts 132 and are directly aligned with the upper course of each belt. The rolls 150 serve to maintain the separated out pieces 156 of the folded web 26 against the upper courses of the belts 132. For further purposes of insuring carrying and advancing of the cut pieces of the belts 132, additional drag means are provided in the form of a pivoted block 158 which extends transversely between the opposite side plates 124, see FIG. 1, the trailing edge thereof supporting a flexible sheet of partially frictional material such as a strip of sheet rubber 160. The outer ends of the upper courses of the belts 132 discharge the cut pieces 156 onto a suitable moving conveyor 162 which is indicated somewhat diagramatically in FIG. I. Said conveyor moves at a substantially slower speed than the belts 132, whereby the cut pieces 156 are disposed in shingle fashion thereon for transportation to supplemental operation such as counting, packaging and the like. When the cut pieces have reached this station, however, they are completed and require no further finishing operations of any kind such as auxiliary trimming, folding, or otherwise. Therein lies one of the principal advantages of the present invention, namely, that when the web 26 is severed by the operation of the rotary blades 82 in coaxion with the stationary bed blade 88, such severing is clean, precise and accurately perpendicular to the line of movement of the web through the cutoff unit 12. However, to insure that the cut pieces will be suitably directed onto the upper courses of the belts 132, the cutoff unit 12 is provided with a knock-down rotary member 164 which is carried by a suitable shaft extending between the opposite side frames 34 of the cutoff unit 12. The rotary member has a pair of similar L-shaped fingers 166 extending in opposite directions therefrom. The member 164 is rotated in direct rotary speed with that of the movable cutter assembly 70. Especially in view of the fact that a pair of fingers 166 are provided on the rotary member 164 and a pair of rotary blades 82 are mounted on the movable cutter assembly 70, it will be seen that each severed piece 156 which is cut by the severing mechanism will be directly engaged at the leading end thereof by one of the fingers 166. It will be understood that a plurality of the fingers 166 are provided on the cylindrical rotary member 164 and extend in spaced relationship across the length thereof. For purposes to avoid complexity in the illustration of FIG. 2, the rotary member 164 and the fingers 166 thereon are not illustrated in said figure but instead are shown in FIG. 1 in side elevation. For similar purposes, the movable cutter assembly also has been omitted from the illustration in FIG. 2 but it can be visualized that the same is mounted directly above the stationary bed blade 88 which is illustrated in FIG. 2.

THE DRIVE SYSTEM One of the most important features of the present invention comprises the means by which the various elements of the cutoff unit 12 are operated in direct relationship to the speed of the press with which the knockdown unit is directly associated. The drive mechanism is shown in limited detail in FIG. 1, and diagramatically, the same is shown also in FIG. 3. Referring to FIG. 1, the exemplary drive shaft 16 of the printing press is illustrated fragmentarily, it being understood that the main drive shaft 168 of the cutoff unit 12 is suitably and directly connected to the driven shaft 16 of the printing press by any appropriate means conventional in the printing industry. As will be seen from FIG. 2, the drive mechanism is located substantially entirely at one side of the cutoff unit 12, exteriorally of the side frame member 34 thereof. Sprocket gears 170 and 172 are directly connected to the shaft 168. For purposes of connecting the sprocket gears 170 and 172, which are driving sprocket gears, to thedriven sprocket gears 174 and 176, roller-type bicycle chains 178 and 180 of suitable size and strength extend respectively around sprocket gears 170 and 174 and sprocket gears 172 and 176. Preferably, the other sprocket gears referred to hereinafter likewise are connected by suitable roller-type bicycle chains identified hereinafter by appropriate reference numerals. Sprocket gear 176 is directly connected to the shaft of primary feed roll 36. Sprocket gear 174 is directly connected'to an auxiliary drive shaft 182, see FIG. 1, which is parallel to and substantially in the same horizontal plane as the rotary blade shaft 74,'as also can be seen from FIG. 1. The auxiliary drive shaft 182 has a very important function, as explained hereinafter.

Sprocket gear 176 also is connected by a sprocket chain 184 to sprocket gear 186 which is fixed to the drive shaft for the lower feed roll 98 of the auxiliary feed roll means. From FIG. 3 in particular, it will be seen that the sprocket gear 186 is smaller than gear 176, whereby the rotary speed of the auxiliary feed roll 98 is greater than that of primary feed roll 36, as explained above. Sprocket gear 186 is connected by v charge conveyor unit 122.

sprocket chain 188 to a driven sprocket gear 190 by which the gear transmission unit 192 is operated. The

unit 192 is a, variable speed drive unit and may be adi the shafts 74 and 182 are driven to cause the rotary justed preferably between zero and maximum speeds.

The output sprocket gear 194 of the gear unit 192 will be seen from FIGS. 1 and 3 to be substantially larger than driven gear 190 of said unit and, under normal.

blades 82 to cut printed, folded lengthsof the web half the maximum length, of 11% inches, the same being half the circumference of the printing cylinder. By retracting one of the blades 82 to inactive position, pieces having a maximum length of 23% inches are produced.

Still other meshing sets of gears having further-different ratios which can be mounted upon shafts 74 and 182 will'be selected, for example, so'as to provide various speeds of the rotary cutting blades 82 relative to the speed of the web so as to produce cut pieces of the is carried for purposes of driving the belts 132 of. dis- I Gear 190 also drives sprocket gear 200 on an oil pump unit 202 by means of sprocket chain 204. The pump 202, through suitable conduits, furnishes oil for folded, printed web which are A, As, or any other desired fraction of the circumference-of the printing lubrication to all of the bearings of the cutoff unit 12 due to the fact that the same, in many instances, run at relatively high speeds.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, it also will be seen that sprocket gear 206, by means of sprocket chain 208, is connected to sprocket gear 210. Sprocket gear 206 is connected directly to the shaft upon which the knockdown rotary member 164 is driven and sprocket gear 210 is connected directly to the shaft 74 of the movable cutter assembly 70. As specifically illustrated in FIG. 3, the sprocket gears 206 and 210 are of the same size. From FIG. 3 especially, it will be seen that no drive is connected between the sprocket gears 174 and 210 and the other extensively interconnected sets of sprocket gears and the sprocket chains extending therebetween. This situation also constitutes another very important part of the present invention, for the following reasons:

In view of there being no connection, for example, between sprocket gears 174 and 210, as illustrated in FIG. 3, there is no connection shown between shaft 74 of the movable cutter assembly 70 and shaft 182 which is an auxiliary drive shaft. However, referring to FIG. 2, it will be seen that the shaft 74 and 182 are interconnected by a pair of meshing spur gears 212 and 214. Said spur gears have a predetermined ratio therebetween. When keyed and otherwise connected to the shaft 74 and 182, they are capable of transmitting driving power from the main drive shaft 168 to the shaft 74 of the cylinder 72 upon which the rotary cutting blades 82 are fixedly supported for rotation therewith to coact with the stationary bed blade 88. By way of example, assuming that the printing cylinder is 23 /2 inches in diameter, which, incidentally, is a very conventional size of printing cylinder on rotary web presses of the type with which the cutoff unit 12, comprising the present invention, is admirably suited to cooperate. Under such circumstances, the particular pair of meshing gears 212 and 214 are designed to drive the rotary cutting blades 82 at a speed relative to the speed of the web so that each blade will sever a cut piece of folded web 156 which is l 1% inches long when both blades 82 are active.

To produce folded and cut webs of shorted lengths, and thereby render the printing press capable of producing folded and printed pieces and different, small lengths, it is the purpose of the present invention to provide a plurality of sets of gears respectively attachable to the shafts 74 and 182 and each set having a different ratio, which ratio preferably is indicated on the sets of gears by suitable labels or indicia. For example, the set of gears selected as above is of such ratio that cylinder. By such means, it therefore, will be seen that the drive for the rotary cutting blades 82 may be adjusted to operate at a relatively wide range of speeds relative to the speed of the web bein g fed to the cutoff unit 12. To provide examples of a limited number of sets of gears according to gear teeth on eachto produce commonly used lengths of pieces 156, the following table is set forth: Y

CHANGE GEARS SHEET 'While it is conceivableithat certain typesof variable speed transmission units might be connected between the shafts 74 and 182, this would not bepractical because the length of the printedpiece has, to beregulated relative to the circumferenceof the printing cylin v der of the press, as well as the diameterof cutter cylinder 72. Therefore, from a practical standpoint, producing cut pieces which are certain fractions and preferably major fractions of the circumference ,of the printing and cutter cylinders is, in reality, the only necessary and practical range of lengths for the folded and printed pieces to be produced by the-cutoff unit 12 comprising the principal feature of the present invention. However, gear ratios of a very extensive range may be used to produce finished pieces of almost any desired length.

For convenience, the various sets of gears which are preferably furnished with each cutoff unit 12 may be contained in an appropriate cabinet conveniently located for readily being selected and substituted for a pair of gears already in use on the cutoff unit. The gears preferably are provided with suitable key ways complimentary to keys on the shafts 74 and 182. By the use of appropriate locking nuts or other securing means,

passing all of the conventional perforating, cutting and folding mechanism normally associated with a web press, coupled with subsequent additional trimming means of one kind or another which must be employed, for example, to sever ragged, perforated edges from the folded pieces and otherwise remove excess length or width therefrom as usually is necessary in regard to printed pieces formed upon conventional web presses having conventional sheeter units associated therewith. Hence, avoidance of waste in paper and other sheet material capable of being handled by the present invention represents substantial savings to be accomplish by using the mechanism of the invention, as well as additional savings resulting from the minimum amount of handling of the cut pieces, all of which handling is accomplished automatically after the printing press and cutoff unit of the present invention associated therewith are set in motion.

While the invention has been described and illustrated in its several preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the precise details herein illustrated and described as the same may be carried out in other ways falling within the scope of the invention as illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. An auxiliary in-line rotary cutoff unit adapted to be connected to and driven directly by a web printing press to provide the same with capabilities of producing from a longitudinally folded or unfolded continuous flexible web of one or more thicknesses of precise width printed pieces each having precisely uniform lengths cleanly and evenly severed on all cut edges and requiring no additional trimming, said cut-off unit comprising in combination, a frame, a pair of cooperating feed rolls supported by said frame and adapted to receive and feed a longitudinally folded or unfolded printed web directly from a web printing press, means operable to drive said feed rolls at a fixed surface speed substantially equal to the speed of the web discharged from said press, a rotary cutting member comprising a cylinder having at least one shearing blade extending longitudinally thereon and radially adjustable relative to the axis of said cylinder and said blade being engageable with said web as fed by said feed rolls, a drive shaft for said cylinder of said rotary cutting member supported by said frame, a bed knife supported stationarily by said frame adjacent said cylinder and adjustable towards and from said cylinder for precise shearing engagement with said shearing blade of said cylinder, and adjustable drive means interconnected to said drive shaft for said rotary cutting member adapted to be connected directly to drive means on said printing press, said adjustable drive means being adapted to vary the rotational speed of said rotary cutting member relative to the speed of said web fed thereto to cause said blade of said rotary cutting member to engage said stationary bed knife to sever said web transversely into precise desired uniform lengths smoothly and evenly at opposite ends of the pieces thus severed which comprise finally trimmed pieces having precise finished lengths and widths.

2. The cut-off unit according to claim 1 in which said adjustable drive means further includes a main drive shaft rotatably supported by said frame and connectable directly to said drive means on a printing press, and a pair of meshing gears of predetermined ratio respectively connected one to said drive shaft for said rotary cutting member and the other interconnected to said main drive shaft, said pair of gears beingexchangeable for pairs of other ratios to provide a different predetermined speed for said rotary cutting member.

3. The cut-off unit according to claim 2 further including an auxiliary drive shaft supported by said frame adjacent said drive shaft for said rotary cutting member, and drive means connecting said auxiliary drive shaft to said main drive shaft, and interchangeable gears respectively being detachably connected to said auxiliary drive shaft and said drive shaft for said blade.

4. The cut-off unit according to claim 1 further including auxiliary feed rolls supported by said frame adjacent the discharge side of said rotary cutting member, and drive means for said auxiliary feed rolls interconnected to said main drive shaft and operable to drive said auxiliary feed rolls at a speed greater than the speed of said web being severed to separate the cut pieces from each other.

5. The cut-off unit according to claim 4 further including rotary knockdown means supported by said frame adjacent the exit side of said auxiliary feed rolls and interconnected to said drive shaft for said rotary cutting member to drive said rotary means relative thereto, and said cut-off unit further including a discharge conveyor positioned to receive the severed pieces from said auxiliary feed rolls and said rotary knockdown means engaging the leading edges of said severed pieces and knocking said leading edges of said pieces downwardly onto said conveyor to arrange the pieces in overlapping shingle manner thereon.

6. The cut-off unit according to claim 1 further including means to remove cut pieces from said rotary cutting member comprising auxiliary feed rolls and means to drive the same at a surface speed in excess of the speed at which said web is fed to said rotary cutting member and thereby separate the severed pieces longitudinally to facilitate subsequent handling of said severed pieces.

7. The cut-off unit according to claim 6 further including a receiving conveyor positioned to receive said severed pieces from said auxiliary feed rolls, and further including rotatable means operable to engage successively said severed pieces above said receiving conveyor and knock the same downwardly upon said conveyor to form an overlapping shingle arrangement of said pieces upon said conveyor. 

1. An auxiliary in-line rotary cutoff unit adapted to be connected to and driven directly by a web printing press to provide the same with capabilities of producing from a longitudinally folded or unfolded continuous flexible web of one or more thicknesses of precise width printed pieces each having precisely uniform lengths cleanly and evenly severed on all cut edges and requiring no additional trimming, said cut-off unit comprising in combination, a frame, a pair of cooperating feed rolls supported by said frame and adapted to receive and feed a longitudinally folded or unfolded printed web directly from a web printing press, means operable to drive said feed rolls at a fixed surface speed substantially equal to the speed of the web discharged from said press, a rotary cutting member comprising a cylinder having at least one shearing blade extending longitudinally thereon and radially adjustable relative to the axis of said cylinder and said blade being engageable with said web as fed by said feed rolls, a drive shaft for said cylinder of said rotary cutting member supported by said frame, a bed knife supported stationarily by said frame adjacent said cylinder and adjustable towards and from said cylinder for precise shearing engagement with said shearing blade of said cylinder, and adjustable drive means interconnected to said drive shaft for said rotary cutting member adapted to be connected directly to drive means on said printing press, said adjustable drive means being adapted to vary the rotational speed of said rotary cutting member relative to the speed of said web fed thereto to cause said blade of said rotary cutting member to engage said stationary bed knife to sever said web transversely into precise desired uniform lengths smoothly and evenly at opposite ends of the pieces thus severed which comprise finally trimmed pieces having precise finished lengths and widths.
 2. The cut-off unit according to claim 1 in which said adjustable drive means further includes a main drive shaft rotatably supported by said frame and connectable directly to said drive means on a printing press, and a pair of meshing gears of predetermined ratio respectively connected one to said drive shaft for said rotary cutting member and the other interconnected to said main drive shaft, said pair Of gears being exchangeable for pairs of other ratios to provide a different predetermined speed for said rotary cutting member.
 3. The cut-off unit according to claim 2 further including an auxiliary drive shaft supported by said frame adjacent said drive shaft for said rotary cutting member, and drive means connecting said auxiliary drive shaft to said main drive shaft, and interchangeable gears respectively being detachably connected to said auxiliary drive shaft and said drive shaft for said blade.
 4. The cut-off unit according to claim 1 further including auxiliary feed rolls supported by said frame adjacent the discharge side of said rotary cutting member, and drive means for said auxiliary feed rolls interconnected to said main drive shaft and operable to drive said auxiliary feed rolls at a speed greater than the speed of said web being severed to separate the cut pieces from each other.
 5. The cut-off unit according to claim 4 further including rotary knockdown means supported by said frame adjacent the exit side of said auxiliary feed rolls and interconnected to said drive shaft for said rotary cutting member to drive said rotary means relative thereto, and said cut-off unit further including a discharge conveyor positioned to receive the severed pieces from said auxiliary feed rolls and said rotary knockdown means engaging the leading edges of said severed pieces and knocking said leading edges of said pieces downwardly onto said conveyor to arrange the pieces in overlapping shingle manner thereon.
 6. The cut-off unit according to claim 1 further including means to remove cut pieces from said rotary cutting member comprising auxiliary feed rolls and means to drive the same at a surface speed in excess of the speed at which said web is fed to said rotary cutting member and thereby separate the severed pieces longitudinally to facilitate subsequent handling of said severed pieces.
 7. The cut-off unit according to claim 6 further including a receiving conveyor positioned to receive said severed pieces from said auxiliary feed rolls, and further including rotatable means operable to engage successively said severed pieces above said receiving conveyor and knock the same downwardly upon said conveyor to form an overlapping shingle arrangement of said pieces upon said conveyor. 